Clipped Wings
by Blackcat0989
Summary: Second Class Zack Fair has been acting strange lately... He's closed himself off from everyone, except for a certain shy cadet and a certain eccentric First. What happened to make him act like this? And what does Hojo have to do with it? Rated M just in case. Later pairings include GxSxA, ZxC, TxR.
1. Chapter 1: No Choice

_Hello everyone! This is my first Final Fantasy VII fic! Finally! After obsessing over this game for… a little over 2 months now, I've written something of my own!_

**_This story came to me when I saw this pic:_**

**_www. zerochan .net/ 139750_**

**_And also the song 'Citizen Soldier' by 3 Doors Down._**

**_This is set during the Crisis Core timeline, but before any of the stuff with Genesis happened, including his desertion._**_  
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_I don't own anything to do with this. Except the plot of this particular piece of writing.  
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**Chapter 1 – No Choice**

Sephiroth knew that something was up the second that Hojo stepped into the meeting room. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence; it was mandatory for the head of the science department to turn up to the monthly board meeting after all. No, it was Zack's reaction to the scientist that sparked the general's unease.

Sephiroth had been required to bring someone to help him in this meeting, someone of lower class than himself, Zack had been the only one he could think of at the time, adding to the fact that the Second really didn't mind crashing a board meeting. If anything, he'd make it more interesting.

Upon seeing the professor, however, Zack's whole demeanour changed. His pupils had shrunk to pinpoints, his eyes were wide and glowing brightly as if a torch was being shone from behind them. His whole body had started shaking, tremors racking him from head to toe and the softest of whimpers escaping his throat.

Sephiroth frowned, cat-slit green eyes flicking between his SOLDIER and the scientist who dared to call himself the general's father. His scowl deepened at the fear clouding the Second's eyes.

"Zackary." The brunette turned, almost begging with his eyes to be let out of the room. Sephiroth tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"I need to go…" Zack whispered, his eyes flicking from the SOLDIER to Hojo, who was only just settling in his seat at the other end of the table. "I need to get out of this room… right now."

"Why?"

Zack hesitated, biting his lip and one hand rising to his long bangs. He tugged at them, as if he were trying to transfer pain from one part of his body to another. "Please… I'll tell you later, or Angeal. Just please… I need to... Cloud…"

_Cloud?_

"What's this got to do with clouds, Zackary?" Sephiroth's eyes moved from Zack to the rest of the board, who were chatting animatedly while they waited for the president to appear.

"Cloud… I need to find him… have to get away… please Seph…"

"…" Sephiroth ran through his options. _I could let him go and just deal with the meeting myself; or make him stay and risk a…_ he glanced at Zack again. _A potential mental breakdown._

Sephiroth nodded.

"Very well, go. I'll talk to you later."

Zack looked at him gratefully before bolting out of the room.

The silver-haired man watched him go, looking to Hojo once the door had closed, only to frown and narrow his eyes in suspicion. The scientist had watched as Zack left, a smirk twisting his features.

_What is he up to?_

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Zack bolted through the corridors, his heart hammering in his chest and mind in a panic.

"Must find Cloud!" he gasped. "Have to hurry…"

"Zack?" blue eyes met their reflection as Kunsel approached the sprinting Second. "What's up? I thought you were with the gener- "

Zack blew right past him, not slowing down as he crashed through the door to the stairwell.

_**I can't wait! I'll make them so afraid of me that they'll tremble in terror at the very **__**sight**__** of me!**_

Zack whimpered, leaping flights of stairs and heading down as fast as possible. Just a bit more…

_**I'll make them so scared of me that they'll obey my every command, just to stop the pain.**_

"Cloud…" he burst through the doors to the cadet floor, racing down the corridor still at a dead sprint. Cadets leapt out of his way, plastering themselves against the walls in an attempt to not be trampled to death. Zack paid them no heed, continuing towards where he knew Cloud's room was.

The cadet didn't have any lessons right then, and he'd told Zack earlier that he'd be in his room after classes.

_**They'll obey me without question, or risk everything they hold dear.**_

Zack almost cried in relief at the sight of Cloud's room, skidding to a halt just before slamming face first into the metal door. He knocked, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited in anxious silence. He was in the room almost before it was fully open, Cloud trapped in his arms.

"Zack?" Cloud asked, squirming around as the Second kicked the door shut. "What's wrong?"

"I saw him… he was at the board meeting…" Zack whimpered into the spiky yellow hair. Cloud stilled. "He gave me a message…"

"What is it?" Cloud's voice had gone deathly quiet, his face a mask of cold fear. "What do we have to do?"

"I don't want you to have to do this… you're only a cadet… I'm not even a First yet… why us?"

"Because he chose us… we may not like it, but we… we have no choice. He'll hurt us and those we love if we don't…" Cloud's voice trembled.

"I know, but…"

"He threatened to hurt my mother… your parents… Angeal…all our friends and family… we have to keep them safe as best we can."

'… You're right." Zack sighed, wiping his watery eyes. "We have no choice…"

"So what do we have to do?" Cloud asked, pulling a tissue out of his pocket and dabbing at his friend's eyes.

"He wants us to be ready by _2100_." The Second murmured. "We'll be heading out, I suppose…"

"Yeah. We were given an assignment, and we will accomplish it. Without fail."

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Angeal frowned, his hand pausing over the Buster Sword at Sephiroth's words.

"What do you mean; he panicked when he saw Hojo? He's dealt with the lunatic before, what's so different now?"

"I don't know. Zackary was terrified when he saw him… he was trembling and I know that I heard him whimpering."

"… He has been quieter recently, especially around the time when he has to go down to the labs…" Angeal murmured, putting his polishing cloth away and swinging the Buster Sword onto his back.

"Is Hojo doing something during his mako shots?"

"Maybe…"

Silence reigned, the ticking of the clock the only noise in the room.

"We'll talk this over with Genesis… maybe he can help?"

"But you're both under Hollander when it comes to anything in the labs… we'd be better off finding someone who also goes to Hojo…"

"What about that friend of Zack's? Kunsel I think his name is?"

"See if you can find him. I'm going to look for Genesis. We'll ask him anyway."

Angeal nodded. "Okay, Seph. I'll see you later."

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Sephiroth knocked gently on the door, calmly waiting for an answer before slipping into the room. Commander Genesis Rhapsodos sat behind his desk, playing with a pen as he read over a report from his latest mission.

"Genesis."

The red-head glanced up, his hand stilling and pushing the report aside.

"Seph. What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

Genesis tilted his head, aquamarine eyes staring into emerald. "Sure, what is it?"

"Do you know what's been happening with Zackary?"

"The puppy? What do you mean?" Sephiroth eyes narrowed, suspicion growing in him. Genesis was on guard.

"Do you know why he has been acting strange? Why he's been so quiet lately?"

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess_. We really should be taking this as something to celebrate, not question. After all, it's not like he shuts up very often." The general's suspicion grew. Now the commander was only half answering the question.

"Genesis…"

"Sephiroth."

"What do you know?"

Genesis hesitated, as if at a loss as to what to do. "I… don't know anything, Seph. Honest."

_No, you are not being honest…_

"Well, if you find out anything, please tell either me or Angeal. We're both getting worried."

"Of course. You know I'd never hide anything from you guys!" Genesis sighed, sounding relieved.

_If only that were true…_

"Well, I'll see you later then. Are you still available for our spar today?"

"Unfortunately no… something turned up and I have to deal with it." He smirked. "What? Can't wait for me to wipe the floor with you? Just wait; you'll get thrashed again soon._ Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return_."

Sephiroth sighed, shaking his head as he slipped through the door.

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"Zack, you have to be more careful." Genesis scolded quietly, trudging up the stairs with Zack and Cloud. "Seph and 'Geal are getting suspicious. You have to hide your fear around Hojo."

Zack looked at the ground. "I know, but he's just… he terrifies me, you know?"

"Yeah… we know…" Cloud murmured, pausing momentarily to pull a pair of contact lenses out of his eyes, revealing glowing mako blue. "The guy's a lunatic…"

"Don't let him hear you say that." Genesis warned. "You'll end up back there faster than you can say 'chocobo'."

The cadet shuddered. "Yeah, I know…"

Cloud was covered from neck to toe in black; black ribbed cowl neck shirt with a long, detachable sleeve on his left arm. Black army-issue pants clung to his legs and elbow-length leather gloves reached up his arms. Black combat boots with soft soles encased his feet, making no sound as he walked. A half-skirt was belted to his waist, flowing across his left leg from the top of his pants to his ankles. Attached to the shirt was a silver broach made to look like a wolf's head, a topaz ring in its mouth and its eyes made of sapphire.

Genesis was missing his red leather duster, instead sporting a black waist-length vest, wrist-length leather gloves and long-sleeved black cowl neck as well as pants and boots matching those that Cloud wore. On his vest was a broach depicting a golden bird; its wings and long tail feathers were embedded with ruby and aquamarine in its eyes. Rapier was nowhere in sight.

Zack was dressed the same as his companions, only he had no jacket, no half-skirt. Instead hehad a black leather choker wrapped around his neck and wrist-length gloves leather gloves with a circle shape cut out of the back and above each knuckle. His broach was crafted to look like a nine-tailed fox, contrary to his puppy nickname. Its tail tips were embedded with onyx and its eyes a stunning tanzanite stone.

"So, Gen, do you know what we're needed to do?" Zack asked, leading the way up onto the helicopter pad.

"No. I'm assuming the usual but I don't know for certain." Genesis shrugged, flicking auburn hair over his shoulder.

"Going by past experience, it's best not to assume anything."

"I agree with Cloud there, Gen…"

"Yeah…"

The sound of a helicopter interrupted their conversation, all three of them stiffening as the black chopper hovered overhead, dropping down a ladder for them. They all clambered up, taking their normal places in the back of the giant metal machine. They were met by a man dressed all in black, his eyes concealed behind a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Fenrir, Kitsune, Phoenix. Your mission is as follows."

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	2. Chapter 2: Shadowstalkers

_Here's chapter 2 of Clipped Wings. This has got to be the fastest I've ever updated a story, so be happy! Anyway, on to the story!  
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_I don't own Final Fantasy VII or anything to do with_ _it. _

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**Chapter 2 – Shadowstalkers**

The night was dark, the land illuminated only by the pale light of the half moon. The shadows of trees danced in the night time air, their soft sighs the only noises to crack the silence. Cloud crept stealthily from shadow to shadow, blending into the darkness as easily as a ghost. His eyes flicked around cautiously, left hand grasping the knife hidden in his sleeve.

A mansion rose before him, its extravagant gardens easily giving away the wealth of its owner, as if the house itself wasn't a big enough giveaway. Cloud sighed, stepping from the shade of the trees towards the door. He reached for his lock picks, deftly fiddling until the lock clicked open. The door swung open without a sound, the cadet slipping in and shutting the door just as quietly.

The interior was just as excessive as outside had been; the best quality wooden furniture, marble floors, satin curtains, the whole package. The front door opened into a grand foyer, white marble floors sparkling and a red carpet leading up the stairs onto the second floor. The whole place screamed money and lots of it.

Cloud padded up the stairs, glowing eyes trailing left and right as he reached the second floor. He turned left, following the crimson carpet into the east wing of the manor house.

Door after door flashed passed, each of them ignored until the cadet reached the door at the end of the hall. The wood was polished mahogany, engraved with swirling patterns around the border and the handle was a shining gold. Cloud pushed through, stepping into the cool, quiet room beyond.

A bedroom stretched before him, the colour scheme focusing on varying shades of blue. The walls and carpet were blue, the furniture covered with blue fabric and royal blue curtains left open against the window. In the centre of the room was a king sized four poster bed, covered with baby blue quilt and translucent curtains.

Cloud walked forward, pulling back the curtains to reveal the woman sleeping within. She was a pretty thing, all long brown hair and pale skin. Long lashes framed her eyes, creating crescents on her cheeks where they rested in sleep. Her hand was up by her head, clenched into a loose fist as she dreamed. On her other side slept a man, rather average in appearance with short black hair and tanned skin.

Cloud reached into his sleeve and pulled out the dagger, the blade glinting with ill intent.

"Forgive me…" Cloud whispered, holding the blade a hair's breadth away from the woman's pale throat. "I'm so sorry…" the knife flashed, blood splattered across the blankets and dyed them dark red. The woman woke gasping, clutching desperately at her throat as she tried to breathe. She stared straight into Cloud's eyes, silently asking _why?_

"I'm sorry." He murmured again, pulling the bloodied dagger away and stepping back, allowing the curtain to fall shut again. He turned to the wall, slashing several words into the wallpaper before fleeing. He raced down the corridors, leaping over the banister to land safely on the ground floor. He bolted through the front door, closing and locking it behind him before blending back into the shadows of the trees.

He raced away from the mansion, stopping only after he had exited the grounds. He paused, listening as he heard a bird's screeched echo through the air, followed quickly by a fox's yowling cry. Cloud cupped his hands around his mouth, lifting his face to the moon and letting out a long, wolf-like howl.

_Mission successful._

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The flight back to Midgar was quiet; Zack was playing with his broach while Genesis and Cloud stared out the window, brooding about their missions.

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"_Your mission is as follows." The informer had said, pulling a clipboard from a compartment above his head. "The three of you are going to be dropped off on the south edge of Mideel. Phoenix, you are to infiltrate the laboratory of Shinra scientist, Professor Karen Hargreves. Find any data on her current project and bring it back. Destroy any samples she may have."_

_He turned to Zack._

"_Kitsune, sneak into the home of the professor's assistant, Professor Connor Rain, and eliminate him. Fenrir, your mission is to break into Hargreves' house and kill her. Her husband will most likely be in the room with her so be sure to use absolute stealth. You are not to be seen."_

"_Yes sir…" Cloud murmured with his eyes trained on the ground._

"_You all have your missions, be sure to read over the data before we reach the destination."_

"_Yes sir…" the three said quietly, accepting the folders to begin reading._

_._

"Gen… when we get back… what are we going to tell Seph and 'Geal?" Zack murmured quietly, tracing the curled tails of his fox broach. "They're suspicious… I don't know what to tell them…"

Genesis sighed, turning his glowing aquamarine gaze away from the window. "I don't know. Why not tell them that Hojo's been tampering with your mako injections recently and it's left you feeling all weird? They'll probably buy that."

"Maybe…"

"They may." The two SOLDIERS turned to Cloud, who hadn't turned his gaze away from the window. "But they're probably not going to take that at face value, and they may get protective if you say that, and then we won't be able to return to Hojo anytime soon." Cloud closed his eyes. "Tell them that you've been having nightmares recently, most of them involving Hojo and that they're clouding your judgement around him. If they ask, say that it's probably some unconscious fear and it's nothing to worry about."

Zack nodded. "Alright Spikey, we'll go with that." he agreed. "It does sound believable, and hopefully they'll buy it. But I don't count of Seph believing any of it."

"Neither do I. Shinra's star general isn't going to fall for any lie very easily." Genesis sighed, Cloud nodding along with him.

"But Sephiroth aside, we can at least attempt to convince Angeal." Cloud continued. "After that, we can only hope for the best, and try to hide your fear a little."

"Hm…"

The rest of the flight passed in silence, each immersed in their own thoughts and waiting with patient resignation as Midgar appeared on the horizon.

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"_Good evening and welcome to Midgar News Network. Today's stories include; this season's fashions, what you have to wear to look 'cool'; Gang fights in the slums, will the danger spread to the plate?; and fruit fever, why everyone seems to be addicted to pineapples… Misty Noels has our first story."_

"_Last night, Professor Karen Hargreves of the Shinra Corporation was found dead in her home in Mideel. This crime, along with two more against Professor Hargreves' assistant, Connor Rain, who was found dead in his house, and her lab were committed by the group known simply as the 'Shadowstalkers', who claimed the crimes in their usual tell-tale manner. This reclusive group, who seem to deal with black ops type work, has never been seen and never been caught. Professor Hargreves's husband, Jack Hargreves, who was asleep with her at the time of her murder, woke in the morning to find her dead in her bed, her throat slit; and slashed into the wall, presumably by the same knife that killed the professor, were the words 'No one can escape the call of the shadows.' This phrase has been left at the scene of every Shadowstalkers crime yet and seems to act as a kind of calling card for the group. This same phrase was found in the laboratory run by Professor Hargreves as well as the home of Professor Rain. The scenes are currently being investigated by the Turks and there is no other information at this time."_

"_Thank you Misty. Isn't that sad? But onto something else now, have you ever wondered why pineapples taste so -"_

Genesis turned the TV off with a relieved sigh, dropping the remote onto the couch beside him and slumping carelessly onto the arm.

"Another job completed." He murmured, his arm covering his eyes. "And still no one the wiser."

"Hm." Zack nodded numbly, staring blankly off into space.

"At least we're safe… for today." Cloud said, standing from his spot on the couch and moving off into the kitchen. "I'll make you guys' dinner before I have to head back to the barracks, okay?"

Genesis shook his head, pushing the memories of the mission to the back of his mind. "Sure. Want some help?"

"If you want."

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"Another one." Sephiroth murmured, eyes flicking from the news to Angeal. "They've struck again."

Angeal frowned, looking up from the pile of reports in front of him.

Shadowstalkers.

A group involved with work similar to the Turks, only working against Shinra instead of for it. They were masters of stealth; no one had ever seen a Shadowstalker. They lived up to their name, certainly, blending into the shadows as if they belonged there.

"Have the Turks found anything?" Angeal asked, pushing the reports aside in favour of looking at his friend.

"Nothing. Once again, no fingerprints, no evidence, absolutely nothing." Sephiroth frowned, scowling at the TV, which was running some advertisement about a plumbing company. "It's almost as if the crimes happen by themselves."

"The Turks will figure it out. Tseng doesn't like having this degrading his work as it is."

"True."

"Don't worry. Soon enough, we'll find out who Shadowstalkers are."

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	3. Chapter 3: Talks

_Chapter 3 of Clipped Wings is out! I have never updated this fast for one story before... _**  
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_I don't own Final Fantasy VII or anything to do with it.  
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**Chapter 3 – Talks**

"Okay, now talk." Sephiroth watched in silence as Zack squirmed in place, switching from foot to foot as he stalled. "You told me that you'd explain why you were acting so strangely around Professor Nutjob. Now talk before I hand you over to the Turks for interrogation."

Zack looked at the ground, chewing unconsciously on his lip. "I did say that, didn't I?" he murmured, glancing shyly up at the general.

"Yes you did." Sephiroth nodded. "Now explain, or I really will call Tseng in here."

Zack chuckled a little, his usually boisterous laugh quiet and subdued. "Yeah yeah, I'm not gonna try to run away or anything… as much as I may want too." He giggled again, grinning ruefully. "Man, this is embarrassing…"

"Zackary, you have three seconds."

"Okay! Geez!" Zack held his hands up in surrender. "Look, it's really nothing big at all! I just haven't been sleeping well recently. I've been having nightmares the last few nights, most of them involving Hojo. In the meeting, I remembered them and I freaked out." The Second laughed. "Boy does that sounds weak. I'm a SOLDIER who's getting scared of my own imagination."

Sephiroth stayed quiet, suddenly feeling awkward and unsure. He'd never had nightmares before, so he didn't know what to say that could help the situation.

"Don't worry about it." Zack said, shaking his head with a small smile on his face. "I'll get over it. Not even sure how it started in the first place." He grinned in an obvious attempt to act how he normally did. "So, can I go now Seph?"

Sephiroth frowned. _He's very eager to get away from me…_

"I suppose… but know that I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"There's no need for that." Zack was quick to protest. "I'm sure that the general has much more important things to do than watch a Second Class SOLDIER who happens to be suffering from nightmares."

"Regardless, I'll be monitoring you to make sure that you keep up with your work." _Not to mention stay away from Hojo._

"Well… I can't stop you, can I?"

"No."

"… Thought so…" Zack sighed. "Fine then. I'm going now then. See ya later!" with that he bolted out of Sephroth's office, slamming the door in his wake. The general sighed, shaking his head.

_Puppies…_

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Zack sighed in relief, his hand pressed up against the wall. He hung his head, eyes closed as he attempted to calm his racing heart.

"Foxy." Zack smiled, tanzanite eyes meeting Genesis' aquamarine. "What _are_ you doing?"

"Hey, Phoenix. I just talked to Sephiroth."

"What did he have to say?" Genesis walked forward, standing next to Zack. "What did you tell him?"

"Let's go to your office. I'll tell you everything there."

"Why mine?"

Zack smirked. "Cause it's closer?"

"Smartass."

"I try."

The two walked quickly into the commander's office, Zack quickly shutting the door as Genesis flopped gracefully into his leather swivel chair.

"Ok. Start talking."

"You're starting to sound like Seph." Zack grinned cheekily. He snapped into attention stance, hand raised in a salute. "What is it you'd like to know, General sir?"

"You're a real smartass, you know that Foxy?" Genesis smirked, watching as Zack tilted his head with his hand still raised and mouth open in a wide grin. "I want to know what exactly you told Sephiroth."

"Yes General sir!" the commander rolled his eyes. "I told him exactly what Cloud said to tell him. About some nightmares I'd been having and that I'll probably get over it."

"He was suspicious, wasn't he?"

"Yeah…" Zack drooped, dropping his playful act to show just how worn and tired he was. "He said he's going to keep an eye on me. To make sure I'm doing my work. But I know that he's just going to make sure that I don't go down to the professor now."

"Damn it." Genesis swore. He got up out of his chair and started to pace, red leather coat swirling around his legs. "This makes things difficult. I'll explain to the professor just what's going on so that he doesn't blame you."

Zack sighed in relief, a small smile once again on his face. "Thanks Gen. I owe you one."

"Yeah, you do. Now scat! I have work that needs completing before tonight's descent into Hell." Genesis waved his hand dismissively, turning back to his desk and the mountains of paperwork on it.

"I'll see you later then."

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Night fell far too quickly for Cloud's peace of mind, the fall of darkness bringing with it the fear and uncertainty that came with a visit to the notorious Shinra labs. Cloud poked his head out of his room, glancing left and right to check for witnesses before slipping through the door, locking it behind him and dashing down the hall.

The labs were in the basement level of the Shinra building, the cadet barracks in an external building on the edge of the compound. And Cloud had to run every step of it in fear that he'd be caught. It was past curfew after all.

The cadet stopped at every corner, peering around to make sure the corridors were empty before dashing out of the barracks and sprinting for the entrance to the main building.

He slipped into the quiet entrance hall. A guard, who was snoozing in his chair, was handling the front desk. The rest of the room was empty. Cloud approached the elevators and put his hand on the wall beside the elevator call button, lifting a panel to reveal a keypad. He quickly typed in the code, closing the panel and entering the now open elevator.

The ride down was a slow one, every second crawling past so slowly that they almost seemed to be taunting him. Cloud sighed, shifting from one foot to the other as he watched the numbers slowly drop.

B1

B2

B3

B4

_How many floors down IS this place?_ The thought made him giggle, reminding him of days where he wasn't as afraid as he was to go down to the labs.

His thoughts were interrupted by a jerk as the elevator came to a halt; the doors sliding open on floor B7 to reveal the sterile, white environment of Hojo's lair. Cloud stepped out, his head down as he made his way slowly down the corridor. The last door on the left was Hojo's personal lab and Cloud made his way there with no little trepidation.

This door opened with a mechanical _whoosh_, the cadet's heart slamming in his chest as he shifted into the room. Genesis was already there, stripped down to his black leather pants with his chest and feet bare. Cloud sighed, eyes downcast. So it was one of those days… Cloud quickly started stripping, removing each of the many pieces of his uniform until he, like the Crimson Commander, was shirtless and shoeless.

Hojo looked up at his entrance, nodding in approval as he saw Cloud shimmying out of his clothes.

"Fenrir, get on the table and lie on your stomach." He ordered, gesturing to the afore-mentioned table with his pen. "Phoenix, you said you had something to tell me?"

"Yes sir…" Genesis' voice was quiet and submissive and his head lowered in something akin to obedience, a stance so unlike the usually proud First. "Kitsune said to tell you that Sephiroth has been watching him and as such will not be able to get down to the labs without putting Project Shadowstalkers in danger."

Hojo scowled, not at all happy with the developments. "Project S has always been impulsive. Not that I blame him with the way Gast raised him. Very well, tell Kitsune that I will see him next time he comes here for the monthly mako booster. For now, bring them out and go through the exercises I set for you. No use ruining a perfectly good specimen simply because you went stiff and couldn't move them."

"Yes sir."

Genesis shifted away from Hojo, two brilliant red wings unfurling from his shoulder blades. They shimmered and glowed in the artificial light, looking as if they had caught on fire; wings of the flaming bird whose name he carried. Genesis started flapping, stretching the feathered limbs as he had been told to do.

Meanwhile, Cloud had shifted onto the table, face pressed into the cold metal and his hands clenched into fists. His skin was beaded with sweat, proof of his utter terror.

"Well now, Specimen C." Cloud shuddered. He hated when Hojo called him that. Fenrir he could stand, but not a decretory name like _that_. "I want you to bring out the tail, but not the ears. We are going to see just how much pain tolerance you've managed to build up in the past few sessions."

Cloud almost cried in terror, obediently willing his wolf tail to appear. The fluffy golden appendage swished around a little, the fur shifting slightly before settling against his thighs. Hojo stepped back, pulling a little worktable close and reaching for an obviously blunt scalpel.

"Well now, let's get started, shall we?"

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	4. Chapter 4: New Addition

_Hi everyone! I bring you Chapter 4 of Clipped Wings! Just a note that this hasn't been properly betaed due to my being in the middle of exams at the moment. so sorry about that.  
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_I don't own Final Fantasy VII or anything to do with it._**  
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**Chapter 4 – New Addition**

One thing no one was ever able to get over was the sound of screams that echoed through the Shinra building. They were so faint and far away that most were willing to believe that they were merely ghosts, as farfetched as the theory was. No one dared to question whether the sounds were the remnants of forgotten souls, or someone suffering at the hands of a madman right at that moment.

No one ever came to Cloud's rescue, not when he was first brought to the labs and certainly not any time after. Zack and Genesis were hardly in any condition to do so; they were just as terrified of the professor as he was. The lab assistants would just look on, some in sympathy, some with undisguised fascination, some with disinterest and others still with a merciless glee to rival that of Hojo himself. They would stand back, handing their head professor tool after tool made to poke and prod and cut and tear, but never would they protest.

Cloud's tail throbbed with pain; the gold fur dyed a bloody red and almost unable to move. Cloud himself lay curled up in a cage with his tail tucked between his legs, watching with glassy eyes as Genesis was tortured. The commander's fiery red wings were limp and heavy with blood. Like the cadet had been before, Genesis was laid on his front on the metal table, his wings stretched out on either side as far as they could reach. His mouth was open in a silent scream, his voice long since lost after hours and hours of pain.

"That's all for one day." Hojo finally said, his voice laced with disappointment. "Anymore and it'll take more than a potion to heal. Get up. Go let Specimen C out of his cage and go up to your rooms. I will call in your absence for today."

Genesis nodded weakly, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees before sliding off the table. He stumbled almost drunkenly towards Cloud, pulling open his cage and helping the young blond out. Cloud whimpered as his tail was moved, blood dripping from his fur as well as the feathers on the commander's wings to create a gory trail behind them.

"And stop dripping all over the floor." The professor called out, peering at them over the rim of his glasses. "Have one of the nurses tend to it."

"Yes sir…" Cloud croaked, flinching as he drew the fluffy appendage in close to stop blood from dripping onto the floor and his wolf ears pressed flat against his head. The two grabbed their clothes and stumbled out into the corridor, taking the few painful steps towards the lab assistants' 'lunch room'. Gaia only knew how they could eat after watching two young men being tortured for the better part of the night.

"Come on." One of them said in a bored manner, leading the way into an adjoining room. "We'll wrap those up until you can get to your floors and take a potion or something."

The two nodded, following and settling down on a metal table matching that in Hojo's personal lab. The assistant pulled out several rolls of bandage, calling in one of her friends to wrap up Cloud's tail while she started on Genesis' wings.

"What did he do this time?" she asked, winding the cloth over the damp feathers.

"Fire…" Cloud murmured, wincing as his a bandage was pulled a little too tight. "Knife… poison… don't remember…"

"Well, we have a remedy down here. We'll give you that just in case you've still got the poison in your system. Did both of you get poisoned? If so then one of you will have to go without."

A nod was all that Cloud could handle. "But no remedy… professor want us… to be immune… will get angry…" he shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Okay then." She flipped her hair disinterestedly and disappeared out the door, followed quickly by the other scientist. Cloud helped Genesis to his feet and began the slow journey to the elevator.

The trip up to the First class and Turk apartments was a long one, the cadet and commander leaning against each other in an attempt not to fall over. They both let out a sigh of relief as the elevator beeped, opening onto the familiar corridor to the rooms of the highest ranking military and Turk personnel. The two glanced around, moving as quickly as they could to the red head's quarters before barricading themselves inside. Cloud let out a sigh of relief, depositing his commander onto the couch before rushing to find the potion stash hidden away in a bathroom cupboard. He downed one himself before bringing one back for Genesis, who chugged it like he hadn't drunk anything in weeks.

"Oh Goddess." He gasped, slamming the empty bottle onto the coffee table in front of him. "I hate how those things taste, but damn do they work! I don't know whether to think they're _'The Gift of the Goddess'_ or just the regular hell on earth." He sighed, reaching for his wings."Here, can you help me get these off Cloud? That potion stopped the bleeding, so I'm okay now." he gestured to the bandages, already starting to unwrap one. Cloud nodded, his bandaged tail waving slightly as he dropped down next to Genesis, kissing his cheek and giggling as the red head turned and pressed an affectionate peck to his lips.

"Man, Phoenix, you need a bath." Cloud laughed, wrinkling his nose at the stench of blood as he gently unwound the gory dressing. "Or at least you need to wipe these feathers down."

"You're not really one to talk, Fenrir." Genesis shot back. "Your fur has so much blood in it that it may as well have been dyed red. I can't believe you aren't complaining about your fur clumping together."

"I would be, but I'm still in too much pain to bother about that right now." Cloud sighed. "Why don't I help you get your wings clean, then I can borrow your shower to stop my fur from clumping. You're gonna have to brush my tail you know, I can't do it properly by myself."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. It's the owner's duty to care for their pet." Cloud scowled. "After that we can call Kitsune and tell him about what Hojo wants done."

"Yeah… Poor Zack… he'll have to go through that alone…"

"I'll go with him, stop him from being on his own."

"Okay… do you want me to come too? I don't want you both down there."

"No, it's okay Puppy. Foxy and I will be fine. Just stay out of trouble. But for now, can you get me a cloth please, my feathers are starting to dry strangely."

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Sephiroth snarled in frustration, pacing up and down his office in a bid not to destroy something. Two months. Two months with no sign of the Shadowstalkers. Two months of false leads and continuous disappointments. Two months of Genesis and Zack disappearing into the labs every week. It was both worrying and utterly infuriating.

"Seph, would you at least try to calm down." Angeal sighed, watching with tired eyes as his friend paced holes into the floor. "All this worrying and pacing isn't going to change anything. You may as well sit down and try to get some work done."

"You're one to talk!" the silver haired man snarled, rounding on the SOLDIER with rage in his eyes. "You're just sitting there watching me instead of doing your own work!"

"I've already finished."

Sephiroth blinked. "… Are you some sort of machine? Did Hojo or Hollander do something to you?"

Angeal frowned, tilting his head in confusion. "No… why would you…?"

"Because no one can finish that much paperwork in less than 4 hours like you claim to have done..." He pointed at the mountains of paper. "It's simply not possible."

Angeal just shook his head, not bothering to even attempt that argument.

"Besides that, I have every right to be worried! Genesis and Zack have been going down to the labs periodically for the last 2 months, and I only know that because I've been keeping tabs on Zack!"

"I thought he was scared of Hojo?"

"Apparently it was just a reaction from some nightmares he'd been having."

"Regardless, I can't think of a reason to be going down there so often…" Angeal frowned, worry for his pupil growing rapidly.

"I can't either. I suppose we'll just have to monitor them both more carefully. That and we have the Shadowstalkers case to look at. Not to _mention_ Tseng's just up and disappeared! Now I've got to deal with this by myself until he gets back!"

"The Shadowstalkers have just disappeared. Not that it's that unusual, but I don't like this quiet… there hasn't even been a theft!" Angeal raised his hands in frustration. "As for Tseng, he'll be back. He probably just had a mission or something."

"I suppose…" Sephiroth stared out the window, cat-slit eyes glowing eerily. "They're building up to something… we just need to figure out what before it becomes something disastrous for us all."

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Zack shivered as he stepped into the elevator, unconsciously edging closer to Cloud and Genesis as the doors closed and the elevator descended.

"Calm down Foxy." Cloud murmured, rubbing the SOLDIER's back. "You'll be okay…"

"Shh…" Genesis drew the black-haired soldier into a hug, rubbing his hair soothingly. "Calm down. Puppy and I are here… we'll go through this together…"

"Thanks guys…" Zack murmured, returning the hug and drawing Cloud into his arms as well. He kissed them both lightly on the cheek before pulling away. "I'll be fine…"

Zack shook his head, temporarily clearing away his fears. "Anyways, what does he want us down there for? It's still too early for the monthly check-up."

Genesis shrugged, Cloud making a quiet noise of confusion before being interrupted by the beep of the elevator. The three stepped through, making their way into the labs.

"Hello Shadowstalkers!" Hojo said with a sneer. "I have wonderful news!"

"Oh no…" Cloud murmured.

"This can't be good…" Genesis said lowly.

"We're doomed…" Zack sighed, resigning himself to their assumed fate.

"Be quiet!" Hojo snapped, shutting all of the trio's chatter. "Like I was saying, I have a surprise for you today!" he shuffled over to the back wall and pressed a button, revealing a one-way window and the room beyond. "Meet Wyvern, the newest Shadowstalker!"

Chained to the wall of the adjoining room was Tseng, his head hanging limp and body slack in his shackles. His hair was loose and tangled from what must have been pained struggles and his skin was shining with sweat. His Turk uniform was torn and blood-soaked, the red staining his once pristine shirt.

"Oh my god, Tseng!" Genesis cried, rushing to the window. "What did you do Hojo!"

Two black, bat-like wings spread out from the Turk's shoulders, each topped with a sharp claw that glinted wickedly in the mako powered lights. A draconian tail curled down behind him, the triangular tip resting on the ground and two fin-like ears rested atop his head, nestled in his thick black hair.

"I made him better; he'll be a much more efficient Turk now. Fast and strong as a dragon adding on to his already agile Turk abilities and his naturally high intelligence, not to mention the ability to fly, and there you have an almost perfect assassin, just like the three of you. Plus he'll join you in working for me." The professor turned his gaze to them. "The reason I called you all down here is that you are going out on a mission tonight. And you'll take Wyvern with you. Teach him how things work here."

The Shadowstalkers looked down, a submissive air taking them over. "Yes sir…"

"Good! Go prepare for the mission. I'll provide Wyvern with everything he needs. Be ready to go by _2200_."

"Yes sir…"

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	5. Authors Note: PLEASE READ

_Hey everyone!  
_

_I'm sending this warning out now, there will be shounen-ai pairings later on in the story, so those of you who are against it, leave now. Romance isn't a big part of this story but it will be in there so it's better you guys know now rather than attack me later.  
_

_Please note that if I get any flames or nasty comments from here on in, they will not be appreciated and I'll make you know it.  
_

_With that said, have a nice day!_


	6. Chapter 5: Preparations

_IMPORTANT NOTE: This chapter has some mentions of prostitution. You have been warned._

_Disclaimer - I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Pity me.  
_

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**Chapter 5 – Preparations**

Tseng woke slowly, dragged from blissful unconsciousness by a high-pitched ringing that blocked his thoughts and instilled a distinct fuzziness to everything. It was a strange sensation for the usually alert Turk. Tseng was a light sleeper and never woke so slowly unless drugged… Tseng's lips tipped downward in a frown, opening his eyes just enough to peer through his lashes.

He was standing upright, his arms spread wide and strapped to the wall with heavy, reinforced shackles, just a little too strong for his slightly enhanced strength to break. The room around him was stark white and bare with a strong scent of disinfectant, chemicals and mako that was distinctly that of the labs.

His analysis of the room was halted when Professor Hojo stepped in, his white lab coat blending almost perfectly with the walls and drawing attention to the oily blackness of his hair.

"Well, well, well; it seems you're finally awake, Wyvern." Hojo's nasally voice echoed and bounced around the metallic walls of the room. "Good. I was starting to think I'd have to bring Kitsune in here to wake you manually."

"What's going on?" Tseng croaked, his tongue feeling thick and heavy. "Why am I chained to the wall? Who's Wyvern and Kitsune?"

Hojo chuckled, the sound grating and painful in the Turk's suddenly sensitive ears. "Why, you are Wyvern, of course. You will be meeting Kitsune very soon, along with Fenrir and Phoenix." The professor walked to the opposite wall, pressing a button hidden in the whiteness. "You are restrained because of these. The process of growing them is usually painful and we couldn't afford you injuring yourself by accident."

The far wall shone, flashing a brilliant white before shifting into a mirror, showing Tseng just what he had been changed into. The Turk's eyes widened, sweeping the mirror with obvious disbelief. He glanced behind him, taking in the delicate black-grey membranes and bones folded neatly against the wall and flinched as the tail dragged across the floor.

"What have you done to me?" Tseng demanded, turning furious eyes onto the professor.

"I made you better." He answered simply. "Stronger, faster, more agile. An almost perfect assassin, as you will be from now on. You will follow President Shinra's orders, but your loyalty will be with me. You, under the name Wyvern, will work alongside Fenrir, Phoenix and Kitsune to do as I command. As Tseng, you are a Turk and nothing more."

"You're mad." Tseng snapped, struggling in his chains. "Why would I ever work for you? My loyalty lies with the Turks and no one else!"

"It's very simple really. If you _don't_ do as I say, I will bring your little red fox down here as my newest test subject, along with a few more of your beloved Turks." The scientist tapped his chin, as if deep in thought. "Maybe I'll make the fox take your place… He'd make a fine specimen."

Tseng turned a sickly white, his already pale skin lightening almost to the point of unhealthy. "No… leave them out of this! How could you do something like this?"

"I do this for my own benefit, obviously. So do we have an understanding?"

Tseng looked down, his eyes glazed over with defeat. "Fine... I'll do what you say but you'll leave my Turks alone."

"Sounds fair, now I'll let you down and get you changed into something more fitting for tonight's job."

"Tonight?"

"Yes. Tonight, you'll have your first mission as Wyvern, isn't it exciting? You'll be briefed on the mission along with your teammates, so in the mean time I suppose I'll have to teach you how to use your new limbs."

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"It's not fair…" Zack murmured, his voice was muffled and head hidden in his hands. "Why drag Tseng into this? Were we not enough?"

"Don't worry, Zack." Cloud said, rubbing his hand across his friend's back. "Tseng is strong. He can handle this. We'll talk to him about it later. We weren't enough, Zack, and not for any reason other than that Hojo is a psychopathic lunatic."

"_My friend, the fates are cruel,_" Genesis muttered, staring out the window with a sad look in his eyes. "_There are no dreams, no honour remains._"

Cloud shot him an unamused glare. "Anyway, we'll pull through, and Tseng will as well."

"I know…" Zack turned and buried his face in Cloud's neck. "It'll be okay… in the end… I wish we could at least _tell_ someone…"

"You know we can't." Cloud sighed, hugging Zack tightly. "But at least we have each other."

"Yeah…"

"Guys, the sun's starting to set." Genesis turned from the window, the setting sun turning his hair a flaming orange. "We should get ready for the mission."

"True…" Cloud stood, gently pushing Zack off him and heading to the bedroom.

"Cloud!" the cadet turned at Genesis' call. "The professor told me earlier that this mission involves going undercover and so you'll have to wear something different than your normal outfit. There's a package with some clothes for you on the bed."

"… Oh great…" Cloud sighed, the bedroom door closing behind him with an almost silent click. Genesis smirked, sniggering quietly and staring with expectant eyes at the bedroom door. Zack sent him a confused look, which was soon returned with a motion to hush and wait.

He wasn't disappointed.

Not three seconds later, a resounding screech echoed through the apartment, followed by a slamming door and Cloud's furious yelling.

"WHAT THE HELL!" he shrieked. "YOU PEOPLE WANT ME TO WEAR _THAT?_ I'LL LOOK LIKE A GODDAMNED WHORE! HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO WALK AROUND DRESSED LIKE THAT?"

"But that's part of the mission, Cloud." Genesis snickered. "The professor wants you to go undercover as a prostitute and 'seduce' the target. The rest of us, including Tseng, will be backup."

"Oh hell no!" the cadet snarled. His mako eyes shone brightly with anger and adrenaline. "Why can't _you _be the bait? Why do _I _have to be the one dressed in that _horrible_ outfit for the pleasure of some pervert?"

"Because the professor specifically said for it to be you, we'll probably find out why in the briefing."

"… Fine. But you owe me… _big time_." He turned and stalked back into the bedroom, the door slamming with a wall-shaking crash.

"… Well, he's livid." Zack said, stating the obvious.

"Of course. How would _you_ like to be dressed like that and have to parade around acting like you want to be fucked into the mattress?"

"I'd hate it."

"And so does he, now come on. We have to change as well."

"Fine…"

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The ride down to the labs was not as silent or as tense as usual. Cloud stood in the corner of the elevator, covered from head to toe in a hooded cloak and muttering about crazy scientists needing to get a life. Zack and Genesis were sniggering; both dressed in their usual Shadowstalker outfits. They strode out of the elevator as soon as it opened, moving quickly into the lab. Cloud continued to sulk as they walked in, his stiletto heels clicking on the polished tile floor.

Hojo was standing at the far end of the lab, muttering to himself as he checked over Tseng's new outfit.

The Turk's hair was free of its usual ponytail and hung loosely around his shoulders. A black ribbed cowl neck shirt clung to his torso, blending in with the black army pants identical to that of the rest of the Shadowstalkers. He wore a black, waist-length jacket and Shadowstalker issue combat boots. His hands were covered by black gloves, the glint of metal shining above each knuckle.

"Tseng!" Genesis called, striding quickly to the Wutaian's side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…?" Tseng's eyes narrowed. "Genesis? Zack? What are you doing here?"

"…" Genesis shot a look at Hojo. "You haven't said anything?"

"I was waiting until you three got here." Hojo sniffed, looking irritated. "Well, I'll do introductions then." The professor gestured carelessly at the red head. "This is Phoenix," he pointed to Zack. "That's Kitsune, and I can only assume the one under the cloak is Fenrir; better known to you as Genesis Rhapsodos, Zack Fair and Cloud Strife. They are the Shadowstalkers."

Tseng's eyes widened. "You mean _you_ are the Shadowstalkers; the ones who have been the bane of my life since day one?"

Genesis smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry… we'll explain everything to you after the mission, okay?"

Tseng scowled. "You had better."

"Guys, it's almost _2200_." Cloud said quietly. "Shouldn't we go meet the chopper now?"

"Get going. You will be briefed on the way to Costa de Sol." Hojo nodded to the door, signalling for them to get out. They all followed orders.

"So, why are you under the cloak?" Tseng asked, gazing curiously at Cloud. Mako blue eyes stared uncomfortably out at him from the shadow of the hood.

"Because this has got to be the most embarrassing and degrading disguise I've ever had to use." Cloud grumbled, beginning to sulk again.

"You'll see when you read the mission data." Genesis said, pushing the button for the roof. "Good thing this elevator is fast, otherwise this would take forever."

"Hm…"

The rest of the ride up was silent, broken only by Cloud's quiet grumbling. The helicopter ride to Costa de Sol was similarly quiet, with everyone reading over the mission data.

"So we are to assassinate a man by the name of Antonio Hart." Zack said aloud, his eyes skimming over the words before him. "He's a scientist in Shinra's medical research unit, but apparently he's been dabbling in the genetic experiments that Hojo doesn't want to continue. But he's a hard man to get to."

"He's been seen taking young boys, generally prostitutes, to his holiday home in Costa de Sol every few nights. Tonight is one of those nights. Cloud is to pretend to be one of those boys and seduce the professor." Genesis read out. "When he gets to the man's house, he'll kill him. The target's lab will be attacked and destroyed by me while Zack and Tseng will play back up for Cloud."

"Oh Gaia…" Cloud groaned. "It's a good thing I've had practice walking in shoes like this; or else I'd probably end up breaking my neck…"

"… Do I want to know?" Tseng asked, sending Cloud a critical look. Cloud shook his head.

"No. No you don't."

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	7. Chapter 6: First Mission

_Ok_ay, _because I don't want to be attacked later, please note that there is suggestive themes in this chapter (same as last chapter, prostitution). So please don't kill me._**  
**

_I don't own Final Fantasy VII. All i happen to own is a copy of Crisis Core, a Crisis Core Cloud action figure, a Fenrir phone charm and a mini Advent Children Cloud. However I hardly think those count. _**  
**

_Enjoy the chapter!_

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**Chapter 6 – First Mission**

Genesis glanced out the window of the helicopter, nodding as he saw the lights of Costa de Sol shining in the distance. He clicked his tongue, drawing the attention of the other Shadowstalkers.

"We're almost there, guys. It'd be best to collect your weapons and prepare to disembark now rather than later." He sighed, reaching into the back of the chopper and drew out a quiver of arrows, pulling a sleek, black fiberglass longbow out of the leather cylinder. He strung it with quick, practiced movements, lifting it to draw the string back to his ear and releasing it with a quiet _twang_. He slung the bow and quiver over his shoulder and gathered the rest of his weapons; four daggers hidden in various places on his person, six kunai strapped to a weapons harness under his shirt and twelve harigata shuriken; six on his belt, four in the soles of his boots and two spring loaded on his gloves.

Zack collected a handful of thin harigata shuriken, connecting ten to his belt and slipping four into the soles of his boots where they slid into specially made holes and locked in place, hidden from view unless you knew where to look. He strapped a gun holster to his right thigh, sliding a Desert Eagle into place along with several ammo magazines into his belt. Two daggers went into his belt and boot and eight kunai onto the weapons harness under his shirt.

Cloud couldn't hide as many weapons with his disguise, instead hiding a dagger in each boot. The young Shadowstalker scowled, not satisfied with having so few weapons while on a mission.

Tseng glanced from one person to the other, clearly confused as to just what he should do or take. Cloud saw his discomfort and took pity on him.

"Here." He said, holding out a handful of harigata shuriken. "You'll need to have a few of these on you at all times. There are two slots in the sole of each of your boots that you can keep some, the rest go on your belt as spares or onto springs on your gloves and kunai are kept on the weapons harness. These are the Shadowstalkers' basic gear. Other weapons can be custom made to fit you, such as Genesis' bow, or can be taken from the collection we have here in the chopper." He pushed against the back wall, revealing a hidden compartment filled with assorted weaponry. "Take your pick."

Tseng reached in, pulling out two guns – both M1911A1 semi-autos – and a double edged knife as long as his forearm, which he tucked into his jacket and weapons harness respectively. "These will do, I suppose." He blinked, glancing at Genesis and Zack with curiosity in his eyes. "How many weapons do you carry normally? And why so many?"

Cloud smirked. "Genesis usually has a total of twenty-three weapons on him, not counting arrows and including all harigata shuriken. Zack has twenty-one and I usually have twenty-seven. The number changes for each person depending on what their preference is." Cloud gestured to himself. "I, for one, prefer to double wield guns, revolvers in particular, so I have mostly long range weapons such as the kunai. However, I need weapons I can use close range as well, thus daggers, and for stealthier missions in which I can't use a gun or a knife, there are the harigata shuriken. Basic gear includes a small vial of Batrachotoxin made by Hojo that we can dip the shuriken in to make it a lethal shot. They can also be used for close combat in situations where we can't use our other weaponry.

"Genesis uses a bow, so it's the same for him, and Zack uses a Desert Eagle semi-auto gun. Once again, same deal. Shadowstalkers are generally long-range it seems, but we do many close range missions."

The explanation was interrupted by the pilot, announcing that they were hovering above the target's lab. Genesis smirked, sending his teammates a two fingered salute before sliding the door open and leaping from the chopper. Tseng cried out, reaching forward as Cloud closed the door and knocked on the wall separating the cockpit from the rest of the helicopter, signalling to the pilot to start moving again.

"Is he okay?" Tseng demanded, casting an anxious eye at the door. "He just jumped out of a helicopter, I admit that he's SOLDIER but not even he should be able to survive a fall like that."

"He'll be fine. He's the phoenix for a reason you know." Zack grinned. "He has the wings and eyes of an eagle, plus his arrows are… special. He'll catch up to us in no time flat."

"If you say so…" he still sounded unsure, but turned his attention to the approaching city. "Cloud, are you going to take off the cloak anytime soon?"

"Not until we land." Cloud scowled. "I'd rather keep this out of sight until I can't hide any more."

"What's so bad about an outfit?"

"… You've never had to wear something for missions other than a suit, have you?" a shake of the head confirmed his statement.

"Well, in the Shadowstalkers, we use all kinds of disguises." Zack explained, not looking happy at all. "As long as we look completely different to normal, it doesn't matter what we wear."

"This so happens to be one of the most horrible disguises I've ever had the misfortune of wearing." Cloud tugged on his hood, pulling it down further over his eyes.

Tseng didn't bother replying.

The helicopter landed several minutes later, touching down on the roof of a building several blocks away from where the target could be found.

Costa was busy, even at such a late hour. Thumping music filtered from the night clubs lining the streets and teenagers loitered in alleyways and street corners. The air was thick with heat and sea salt, bringing with it a feeling of relaxation and holiday joy.

Cloud broke off from Zack and Tseng, allowing them to head for the roof tops as he manoeuvred his way into a deserted alley. He pulled his hood down, allowing his hair to spring free of its confines and blinking contact-dimmed mako eyes. He untied the cloak and left it hidden behind a dumpster to collect later.

Cloud strode out into the street, heels clicking as he walked, and slipped into the main square, standing against the side of a building as he waited for the target. The clock was just reaching _2300_ when Antonio Hart sauntered in, sweeping an expectant look around the square as he searched out a 'play mate' for the night. Cloud stepped forward, swaying his hips temptingly as he made his way to the scientist.

"Hey there," He purred, forcing himself to smile prettily and put a gloved hand on the man's chest. "Wanna have a night you'll never forget?"

Cloud could feel the man's eyes on his body, casting a lustful look at his exposed skin. The cadet inwardly cringed, glancing down quickly at his outfit.

His torso was covered with a white leather half-shirt with a collar that swept low and off-the-shoulder straps, stopping high enough to leave his navel bare. White leather mini-shorts just barely reached the top of his thighs and white stiletto boots reached up to mid-thigh. His hands were clad in white gloves with mesh reaching from wrist to elbow. His hair was left as normal, save for the white and blue feathers clipped throughout his golden spikes. Around his neck was a black leather choker.

Cloud flashed a seductive smile, slipping a finger through the ring in his collar and giving a light tug. "Come now, I'm sure I could pleasure you real nice. I can take whatever you want to give." He giggled cutely. "And I'm more than willing to give if that's what tickles your fancy."

The scientist smirked, grabbing Cloud's wrist and dragging him forward, pulling him flush against the older man's chest. "What's you're price, little angel?" his voice was forcefully deep, a half purr that wasn't at all to Cloud's tastes.

"Whatever you want." Cloud said, flashing his teeth in a forced smile. "So, we going to your place or are we gonna do it out here, not that I mind a little exhibitionism but I do prefer a bed to the hard stone floor."

"As do I, kitten." The scientist let the cadet go, grabbing his hand to lead him to the holiday house. "So, may I ask what your name is? Unless you'd like for me to keep calling you by nicknames?"

"You can call me Fenrir." Cloud smirked. The prey was caught hook, line and sinker. "And what I can call you, Darling?" he hid a disgusted grimace.

"My name is Antonio Hart." Antonio said, smirking in Cloud's direction. "I'm the head scientist in Shinra's medical research unit."

"Wow…" Cloud forced awe. "That's amazing! I'm gonna be shagged by a scientist! Are you going to conduct experiments on me, Professor?"

He smirked. "I'm going to do all _kinds_ of experiments on you, Fenrir. And you're going to love every one of them."

"Oh I'm _certain_ that I will." Cloud shuddered violently, only just managing to disguise it as an excited shiver. "Lead on then, Professor."

They walked in silence, the professor sending lustful glances at the cadet while Cloud kept his eyes forward occasionally glancing at Hart with a sly smile. He waited while the elder man unlocked the door, gasping as he was tugged inside and pushed against the wall in the living room, the man's mouth on Cloud's neck.

The cadet played along, moaning and arching into the bigger body and slowly reached his hand behind the man's back. He wrapped a leg around Hart's waist, both to draw him closer and to release the knife from its hidden sheath. Cloud gripped the dagger's hilt, moving it up to the back of the scientist's neck. He froze at the feel of the blade and turned frightened brown eyes into chilling blue.

Cloud leaned forward, whispering into his victim's ear.

"No one can escape the call of the shadows."

Hart's eyes widened. "Shadowstalker."

The knife flashed in the mako lights.

"I'm sorry."

Cloud brought the dagger down, digging the blade deep into the back of the scientist's neck. He hopped out of the way, letting the body fall with a muted thump and reached down to clean the knife on the corpse's shirt. He quickly slashed the familiar words into the wall before leaving the body and heading for the front door.

Cloud slipped outside, tucking the knife back into his boot and lifting his hands to his mouth to release his wolven howl - the signal for his comrades that the mission was successful - before sprinting away. He ran back to where the chopper had landed, stopping along the way to grab his cloak from its hiding spot but didn't bother to but it back on as he scrambled up a fire escape and onto the roof where the helicopter was waiting. Zack and Tseng were already there, waiting by the machine for Cloud to arrive.

Zack sighed audibly in relief upon seeing his friend approach, scooping him up into a hug when he was within arm's reach.

"Man, Spiky, I was worried." Zack spoke into the blonde's hair, blowing a stray feather out of his mouth as he did so. "You really are a good actor, aren't you? For a while there I honestly thought that you actually wanted him to…"

"NO!" Cloud snapped, pulling away from the SOLDIER. "Why would I _want_ that! The guy was a creep, a creep who didn't deserve to die but a creep either way! I didn't take pleasure in killing him, but I certainly didn't enjoy him touching me. Now let's get going so that I can change and have a shower. My skin's still crawling where he touched me."

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	8. Chapter 7: Reality

_Sorry for taking so long with this, but things have been happening and I ended up finishing this when I'm SUPPOSED to be studying for my exams._

_But anyway, hope you guys enjoy this.  
_

_I don't own Final Fantasy VII.  
_

__.

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**Chapter 7 – Reality**

Genesis had always feigned confidence when going on a mission, regardless of whether it was for Shinra or among the Shadowstalkers. He was a commander, the Crimson Commander. He had to appear strong to everyone, even among his friends and family. On a mission, there was no room for weakness; no room for doubt or fear, no second chance if cowardice jeopardized the task. If the fear takes over, then the mission is as good as failed. It was the same when dealing with Hojo, any sign of fear and the torture would be intensified, just to see how much it would take break them.

Once, many years earlier, Genesis had been terrified of heights. Going higher than the second story of his house had scared him so badly that he froze in place and had to be physically _dragged_ to lower levels. The first time jumping (or rather, being pushed) from a moving helicopter had successfully scared that fear away; it was either get over it, get pushed out of a moving vehicle again or be released from SOLDIER altogether, none of which were good options for a rising star in the Shinra ranks.

Genesis sighed and shook his head as he felt the wind against his face, tugging at his hair and clothes as he plummeted straight down. His bow bumped against his back, knocking against the quiver of arrows as the air currents pulled at it. He grabbed onto both, moving them to the center of his back as he concentrated, pushing all outside feelings aside as he willed his wings to emerge. They did so in a flash of red fire, cinders falling to earth as the feathered appendages caught and held the air.

The commander sighed, wings flapping lazily as he pulled himself out of his free fall. Sparks flew around him, falling from the feathers with every beat of the powerful wings. He looked down, only just managing to glimpse the lab below him, barely visible in the pale moonlight.

It was a small, grey, rectangular building hunched low in a thicket of palm trees not far out of Costa de Sol. Tiny lights flashed red around the outskirts of the building, a nondescript warning to those flying over that the lab was indeed there. A path trailed through the trees, snaking its way from the building's doorstep all the way into Costa de Sol.

Genesis tucked the wings in close and swooped downward, willing the fire in him to dull down to a small, comfortable flicker rather than the raging inferno that it had been. The sparks stopped falling, snuffed out even before they left the shelter of the red feathers. The ground rushed up to meet him, palm trees growing larger by the second as he got closer and closer. Red wings snapped out, slowing the breakneck descent with a sudden jolt. He glided to the ground, touching down with a small flap before folding the wings and dismissing them. They disappeared in a flash of fire. The commander stepped forward, calmly making his way into the building.

It was cold and quiet inside, lit up by glaring white lights that reflected painfully off the metallic walls. Before him was a long corridor, lined with doors leading off into other parts of the complex. Each door had a plaque stuck onto it, telling just what the room beyond was and who usually worked there. Genesis knew already which room he had to find, how far down it was and who would be in it at this time of night.

Hart's two assistants would be inside the professor's personal lab, cleaning up after a long day of experimentation while their boss had fun in the city. They were his targets; the only two who he had to be certain would be dead by the end of the night, along with putting down any experiments that may be in the building. Everyone else in the building would most likely die too, in the end.

The Shadowstalker strode down the corridor, aquamarine eyes flicking over each door until he found the one he needed.

34. 35. 36. 37. 38.

_Room 39 – Genetic Experimentation_

He opened the metal door and slipped inside, closing it with a quiet click before glancing around the room. It was a standard laboratory with metal tables, linoleum floors and rows upon rows of glass equipment. Pushed up against the back wall was a single first-generation Mako tank, old, rusting and long past its prime.

Genesis sneered, wrinkling his nose against the strong stench of chemicals, disinfectant and old Mako, barely masking the salty scent of blood. The commander stalked forward, pulling two kunai from the harness under his shirt as he crossed the room and entered into a side chamber where the targets were wrestling an injured guard hound into a cage. The Shadowstalker flinched, shaking his head in disgust as he pulled his hands back, throwing the kunai with deadly accuracy to pierce the neck and back of one of his targets. He fell with a choked gurgle, blood bubbling up into the back of his throat. The woman let out a shrill scream, reeling back as her co-worker fell. She spun around, looking frantically for the murderer only to see the room behind her empty. The guard hound snarled, throwing itself into the bars of its cage with a furious growl and filling the room with a metallic echo.

The sharp edge of a blade dug into her neck, drawing a line of blood to trickle down her skin. She was dead before she could scream out again.

Genesis collected his weapons and did a sweep of the building, killing anyone who crossed his path and scowling as he unveiled rooms upon rooms of caged animals, many of them sick or mutated from the experiments run on them. They ranged from sahagins to newly hatched Nibel dragons, all of them stuffed into too small cages and obviously starving. He put them out of their misery with quick slashes of his boot daggers, muttering quick apologies to each and every one.

He raced out of the lab, leaving the door open behind him as he spun on the balls of his feet and pulled the longbow off his shoulder. He drew an arrow out of the quiver and nocked it, aiming straight into the heart of the building.

Genesis sneered, muttering a quiet 'good riddance' as he let the arrow fly.

He quickly turned and leapt into the sky, beating his wings to get as high as possible, for once thanking Hojo for his contempt for Scarlett and her 'products'. The commander's arrows were specially made by Hojo's own little weapons department. The shafts were reusable – if not damaged beyond repair – and the heads were crafted to be able to fulfill certain functions depending on their make.

Genesis watched from above as the arrow devastated the building, tongues of fire visible through the cracking windows. He waited, nodding his head as the arrow's final explosion rocked the earth below him and turned towards Costa de Sol.

_Mission accomplished…_ he thought and flew for the city to meet up with his comrades.

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Angeal frowned as he stared down at the report in his hand, his gaze caught on the photos of the corpse and the burned lab. Antonio Hart, a low-grade Shinra scientist working in the medical research section of the Science Department. He was unimportant, surprisingly low on the hierarchy and yet had the money to have his own personal research lab on the outskirts of Costa de Sol. It was baffling, until one read further. For the three years since his employment, Hart had been dabbling in genetic research, and had been nearing a possible breakthrough with the mako injections. As well as this, he had been embezzling money from the company, in particular from the Science Department and from, on occasion, Hojo himself.

Angeal sighed and shook his head; finally understanding why Hojo had thrown fits at the President so many times.

The First Class dropped the report onto his desk, resting his chin on his laced fingers. He glanced across the room where Zack was perched on a couch, chewing on a red liquorice rope and unwillingly working on a report from a monster hunting mission three days earlier.

"In the past 2 months, the Shadowstalkers had struck two Shinra scientists, both of whom were, legally or otherwise, working in the genetic field." Angeal started, watching as Zack jerked in fright. "Why do you think that is, Zack?"

"Um… because they don't like scientists?" Zack guessed, glancing warily at his mentor. "Why are you reading that? Aren't the Shadowstalkers a Turk case?"

"They are, but until Tseng comes back from wherever he's disappeared to, the case falls to a few of the lower Turks, who have passed it on to us."

"So you're doing Tseng's work?"

"Unfortunately."

"Well, have fun with that." Zack turned back to his report, scribbling a few more things down onto a form before swallowing his liquorice and bouncing over to Angeal to drop the report onto his desk. "There, done." He grinned. "Anything else? Can I go now?"

"Fine, you can go Zack."

"Great!" Zack flashed a toothy grin before turning on his heels and bolting out the door, most likely to ambush his SOLDIER friends or kidnap one of the cadets to go have fun.

Angeal sighed, turning back to the report and the single blood red feather.

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"You must have questions." Cloud started, leaning back on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, his voice resigned and tired. "But let's start with the basics before that, okay?"

Tseng nodded, settling down into a chair opposite the cadet.

"The Shadowstalkers started out as just me." Genesis said, staring out the window with sad blue eyes. "I had started to degrade, I was literally being eaten alive by my own cells. Professor Hollander didn't have a cure, I was dying and the only one who had an _inkling_ of how to help me was Hojo." he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I originally didn't want to go to him. I thought it better that I just get away from the company and die in peace. But then, I became a monster, more of one than I was before. Angeal and Sephiroth had become suspicious; Angeal kept giving me blood in the hopes that I would recover. It never worked.

"I couldn't stand to keep causing them pain, so I approached Hojo and begged for a cure. He... he gave me conditions and I accepted, I didn't realize just what I was getting into."

"Genesis approached me soon after he had been cured." Zack picked up from where the commander had left off, leaning forward against the back of the couch with his legs crossed at the knees. "He was scared, so terrified of what he had gotten himself into that he just had to talk to someone, someone who wouldn't call him a monster. Angeal was in Wutai, Sephiroth; having grown up with Hojo just wouldn't have understood what Genesis was feeling. I was the only other choice. I helped him get through the first few weeks of being Hojo's personal guinea pig, bringing him back to his apartment after many of the taxing experimental... procedures. But then Hojo found out.

"He kidnapped me from my apartment while I was hanging out with Cloud, he took us both down to the labs and dragged us into the experimentation. He had been watching Cloud for some time, apparently because Cloudy here's from Nibelheim and has an extremely high tolerance for mako.

"But anyway, he soon got into animal experimentation, mixing our DNA with those of various animals and also with Jenova cells. The changes were successful, as you may have guessed. Each of us have various mixtures of animal, Jenova and our own DNA."

Cloud took up the story again, closing his eyes as he willed his ears and tail into existence. "I am a mixture of Nibel Wolf and Kalm Fang, though more wolf than fang. I have the highest concentration of Jenova cells in me of the three of us because of my tolerance for mako. Physically I'm equal in strength to a First Class SOLDIER, so I have to dumb myself down in cadet classes but that's beside the point."

Cloud shot a look at Zack, who nodded and allowed his ears and multiple tails to become visible. They swished around Zack's legs, the white tipped black tails coming up to fan out behind him.

"I've only got fox, but Hojo mangled the DNA and I ended up forming nine tails instead of just one." Zack scratched the back of his head, his ears laying flat against his skull. "Unlike Cloud, I was administered with dormant Jenova cells, just like Genesis was. I'm a little weaker than a First Class in terms of physical strength, but I'm also a tiny bit more agile than him thanks to the fox."

Genesis sighed and stepped away from the window, his wings appearing in a burst of flickering fire. "I am part of the summon Phoenix, part eagle and I have a tiny bit Needle Kiss. Before you ask, I have no bloody idea how he got part of Phoenix, it's so much easier, and safer, not to question his methods. Anyway, I used to have a single black wing, but after being mixed with Phoenix it turned red and duplicated." He shrugged, wings fluttering lazily. "Since I was the first, I'm the basis for all the Deepground experiments. Each of the test subjects have some of my cells in them."

"Hold up." Tseng interrupted. "Deepground?"

"They were originally a medical unit," the commander explained. "But then Hojo got a hold of two SOLDIERS that were being kept there after a mako accident and started experimenting on them. Others joined in and it became a breeding ground for the unethical. The SOLDIERS were both in a coma until they were given my cells."

"Weiss and Nero, the SOLDIERS, are two of Hojo's other test subjects. Thankfully they haven't taken to the animal DNA or the Jenova cells. Deepground, however, is something of a pet project for Hojo." Cloud leaned back, tail flicking against the couch cushions. "The most important thing you need to understand is that Hojo is a complete lunatic. He talks to himself; he doesn't care about the well being of others and sees everyone as a test subject. No one is safe from him; not cadets like myself, not high ranking military officers such as Genesis or Sephiroth, not Turks like you and certainly not any civilians or injured and comatose SOLDIERS.

"Deepground is a private army, the members loyal to only a certain few people; Hojo, Weiss and his brother Nero, the Shadowstalkers and each other. They follow any and all orders given to them without complaint and don't have much of a mind of their own. They are slaves, machines, they fight either until they have completed their task or they're killed. Only the Tsviets have their own minds, so to speak."

"The Tsviets were the only ones in Deepground given Jenova's cells. All the others were either tortured into complete obedience or they have a... chip, sorta like a computer chip, surgically implanted into their brains." Zack spoke up again, eyes burning with an angry fire. "There are three Tsviets; two are obviously Weiss and Nero and the other is a woman named Rosso. She used to be a really nice girl – quiet, polite and willing to help those in need. But she's been completely changed by Hojo, her personality warped until it became impossible to see just who she used to be. Rosso became something of a sadist; she loves bloodshed, her own or that of others it doesn't matter. She's a master at the 'art' of torture and worships Weiss and the Shadowstalkers as sort of gods, since it's through us that she has the power she does.

"Weiss and Nero were originally SOLDIERS, so of course they already had mako enhancements. But even before the enhancements, Nero had the power to control darkness, in particular the Chaos darkness. Hojo was understandably interested in this power so he's been experimenting with Nero's power, using a mako suit to control them when he doesn't want them used."

"Weiss... We don't actually know that much about him." Cloud admitted. "Nero tends to keep everything pertaining to his brother rather hush hush, either that or he honestly doesn't know what they did to him. The scientists are willing enough to talk about Nero and Rosso, but Weiss is being kept top secret. It's more than suspicious, so I can't help but think that Hojo has something _special_ planned for Weiss."

"I think we should stop for tonight." Genesis said, dispelling his wings with a quiet groan. "We've just given Tseng a lot of information, allow him some time to digest it before giving more."

Cloud and Zack nodded in agreement. "Go get some sleep." Cloud turned to the Turk with a sad smile. "You have enough to think about for tonight. You still have an 'appointment' with Hojo tomorrow to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your new form. You're going to need all the rest you can get."


	9. Chapter 8: Lies

**Chapter 8 – Lies**

The Turks were known as a group of cold-hearted killers, unfeeling, uncaring, the hunting dogs of Shinra. The infantry told stories to each other aimed to scare the new recruits, sharing in hushed whispers one tale or another of the cold efficiency of the elite assassins. Civilians kept their heads down, shying away from anyone in a black suit – be they male or female – since no one could be trusted not to be one of _them_. This was the reason that Midgar had the lowest crime rate on the whole East Continent.

The Turks, to those who know them, were as far from 'cold-hearted killers' as possible. They killed, but only under orders, they didn't pry where they were needed to, didn't target people on the street, weren't monsters brought straight out of Hojo's lair. The Turks were a close group, each member treated as family by the rest rather than as mere colleagues. They protected their own, even at the cost of themselves.

As the director of the Turks, Tseng knew their kindness more than anyone. As a Wutaian emigrate, and as a former assassin-for-hire, he never would have been able to make SOLDIER, no matter his skills with a gun or blade. To him, the Turks were a gift from the Goddess herself, more precious than his own biological family – even his own life – and more than worth protecting. But to hide something from them was hard, almost physically painful for Tseng, especially from his little red fox. However, there was no other option. To tell was to damn them too.

Tseng sighed, leaning back against the side of the elevator as it moved towards the Turk floor. He was exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally after his first examination with Hojo. The 'good doctor' had been in a less than pleasant mood, and as a result had taken it out on his unfortunate patient.

His body ached, his skin dyed black and blue under his dark suit. Blood was only just starting to clot over the deep knife wound in his arm, the red-stained bandage sticking uncomfortably to the skin. He walked with a semi-hidden limp, only just favouring his right leg, but he wasn't too worried, the newly added Mako would take care of the wounds in due time.

The elevator doors opened with a beep, baring the once plush blue carpet and white walls of the offices of the Department of Administrative Research. Tseng moved forward, sending greetings and waves at everyone he passed. He sighed as he entered his office, closing the door and leaning against it with a tired groan.

How much pain have those three endured? For how long did they suffer, alone and afraid, before the Turks took up the Shadowstalkers' case? Shinra had only been aware of the group for the past several months at the most, how long had they been under Hojo's control before that?

Tseng shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts as he pushed himself away from the door and strode to his desk, dropping into his chair with a quiet grunt. A pile of reports sat innocently in the middle of the wooden table, almost three feet in height and Tseng wondered if it was worth the President's anger if he borrowed Genesis' fire materia.

"Hey, Bossman?" Tseng glanced up at the voice, smiling as he saw Reno leaning against the closed door. "What's up, yo? Where've you been for the last week?"

Tseng drew in a deep breath. "I've been on a mission. It's completely classified so I can' tell you anything about it. What have I missed?"

Reno's eyebrow was slowly lifted, the red-headed Turk picked up on Tseng's lie easily. "Oh, not much. Rude made some new explosives, Cissnei got a haircut, Rod's hair was somehowdyed purple, ya know, the usual."

Tseng sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do I want to know?"

"Not really. No"

"Well then, is there something you wanted?"

Reno sent him a strange look. "Boss, I know that I'm not the most observant of guys, but I'm not blind."

Tseng frowned. "What makes you think that I thought you were?"

"You're lying to me, hiding things. You just up and disappear for a week and come back injured and lying – don't try to hide it, I saw you limping."

Tseng looked away, refusing to meet the younger Turk's eyes. "Reno. I can't say. I'm sorry."

Reno sighed, uncrossing his arms. "Fine then. But please, be careful. You're one of us Tseng, and we care about you. We don't like seeing you hurt."

"I know. I'm sorry." The director stood and moved around the desk, drawing the red-head into his arms. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Yeah." Tseng felt Reno's fingers tighten in his shirt. "Alright." The Turk commander drew back, wiping teary eyes with his sleeve and coughing lightly to hide his hiccups. "Well, I should leave you to deal with the paperwork monster, yo!" Tseng smiled; glad to see Reno getting a hold of himself again.

"Yeah. Get back to work, Reno. I'll see you at lunch."

"You got it, Bossman!"

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Zack smirked, swinging his standard-issue broadsword above his head as the VR simulation dissolved around him, the remains of the 'dead' behemoth shattering into digital particles. He glanced over his shoulder, shooting a grin behind him at Angeal's approving nod.

"You're doing well." Angeal smiled, clapping the Second on the shoulder. "Still showing off a little too much but your definitely improving."

"Oh yeah!" Zack cheered, bouncing on the spot and fist-pumping triumphantly.

"Come on, Puppy." Angeal chuckled, leading his student out of the VR room. "I think you're improvement calls for a reward."

Zack's eyes grew large and excited, following behind Angeal with an energetic hop in his step. "Really?"

"Yep."

"What is it!?"

"You'll see, Pup."

"ANGEAL! Don't leave me in suspense!"

"But Puppy, half the fun is in the surprise." Angeal smirked, thankful for his developed immunity to the Puppy-Eyes-of-Doom.

"Fine." Zack pouted, but the excitement in his eyes didn't fade.

The SOLDIERs rode up to the 1st Class apartments, Angeal unlocking his door and allowing Zack inside.

"Shoes off Puppy."

"Yeah, yeah."

Angeal left Zack to slump on his couch, entering his room and rummaging around in his closet. He wasn't sure if Zack would like his gift, but one could always hope. When he came back out, Zack was sprawled haphazardly across the couch, one leg on the cushions and the other resting on the floor.

"Tired?" Angeal asked, a soft smile playing on his face.

"Yeah, well. You're a hard taskmaster." Zack groaned, stretching his arms above his head. "I ache in places that I didn't know _could_ ache. Stupid behemoth…"

Angeal chuckled, laying the wrapped object on the coffee table. "Too tired for your reward?"

"Definitely not!" Zack sat up quickly, reaching for the large cloth package. He pulled the red material aside, staring in awe at the sword before him.

It was a beautiful blade, with an ornate black hilt and a long white blade made out of some sort of strong, creamy crystal. It has three pairs of linked material slots, with two of the slots already filled with a quake, paired with an all. Wrapped with the blade were a crystal bangle and a pair of gloves inlayed with the same crystal as the sword and bangle.

Zack looked up at his mentor, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Y… you're giving this to me?" he stammered, at a loss for words.

Angeal nodded, folding the red cloth and putting it aside. "It's called the Crystal Sword. I got it in Mideel along with the bangle and gloves some time ago. So, I take it that you like it?"

"Of course!" Zack lunged, grabbing his mentor in a tight hug. "Thank you!"

"It's alright Pup." Angeal smiled, patting his student's back. "Why don't you go leave that in my room for now and I'll make us dinner? It's almost 1800 hours."

Zack pulled back, a huge grin splitting his face. "Okay!"

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Hojo's called came at 2000 hours, just as Cloud was finally able to settle down for the night, he was startled awake by static in his ears, followed by Hojo's nasally voice demanding his presence in the lab. The cadet groaned, slipping out of bed and into the bathroom, grabbing his Shadowstalkers outfit as he went.

He met up with the others at the elevators leading down to the labs, the four of them trooping inside with an exhausted glance at each other.

"Remind me why we don't just kill Hojo again?" Tseng groaned, leaning off his injured leg. It was taking longer than usual to head for some reason and was still a bit painful to walk on.

"Because if we even _try_ he zaps us. Somehow. I honestly have no idea how he does it but it hurts like crazy." Zack answered, playing with the crystal bangle hidden in one of his pants pockets.

"It was something in the injections he gave us at the beginning. Some sort of microscopic machines injected into our bloodstream that he can activate when he wants. They can shock us, take scans of our body and I'm pretty sure they act as a GPS too." Genesis explained, massaging his temples as if he had a headache. "They run on mako too so they don't just die. Can't get rid of the things without a major blood transfusion."

Cloud just grunted, pulling one of his revolver out from under his half-skirt to heck the barrels. They may be unable to harm Hojo, but one could always dream. _If only, if only…_

The door opened with an annoying ping, the four Shadowstalkers quickly moving forward and into the lab. Hojo was waiting with a scowl on his face, his fingers visibly twitching towards one of his scalpels.

"The whole reason I got you to start leaving messages was to threaten my rivals and to put Shinra into a state of panic that I could take advantage of, without them knowing that it was me." Hojo's oily voice was cold and angry. "You were _not _supposed to leave evidence, ever."

The Shadowstalkers glanced at each other. _Evidence?_

"On the last mission, one of Phoenix's feathers was found near Hart's lab, nearby to where the message was carved. The Turks brought it in and the SOLDIERs had it identified. I managed to destroy the report, but not before a certain few may have seen it. I want you to interrogate them. Find out how much they know and, if they know too much, kill them. But one will be left alive for me. You'll know which. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." The four murmured, looking at the floor. Genesis had a guilty look on his face, shooting apologetic glances at his teammates.

"If you mess this up, you _will_ live to regret it, understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Sir, who do we need to interrogate?" Cloud asked quietly, hoping and praying that it wasn't someone they knew.

"Reno of the Turks, SOLDIER 1st Angeal Hewley and General Sephiroth."

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_And that chapter is done. It's been sorta lying around for a while just waiting to be edited, I only just got around to doing it._

_Look forward to the next chapter and review please!_


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